Electric-arc lamp.



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PATBNTED SEPT. 1, `1903..

A. SGHWBITZBR.

ELECTRIC ARGr LAMP.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1899. ENBW'BD AUG. 18. 1902.

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N0 MODEL e 6 e n W N. 737,668. v'PAIEllTED SEPT. l, 1903. A A. SGHWEITZER..

ELECTRIC ARC LAMP. APPLIGATION FILED snr'r. 1s. 1899. RBNEWBD AUG. 1s. 19

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No. 737,668. A

UNITED STATES Patented September 1, 1903.

vPATENT CEEICE.

ALBERT SCI-IWEITZER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE KEYSTONE ELECTRIC & IWIANUFACTURING CC., OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- TION OF NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRIC-ARC LAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettersl Patent No. 737,6'68, dated September 1, 1903. Application iiled September 18, 1899. Renewed August 18. 1902. Serial No. 120,116. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may con/cern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT SCHWEITZEE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburg,in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Electric Lamps, of which the following is a speciiication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to arclamps, and more especially to that type of arc-lamp wherein the carbons are burned in an airtight inclosure.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a lamp of this character which is eX- ceedingly simple in structure and wherein the carbons are burned in a substantially airtight inclosure, so that the life of the carbons is greatly prolonged and the efciency of the lamp increased.

A further object of my invention is to provide a lamp of this character in which the usual clutch feeding mechanism is entirely dispensed with, whereby a simpler construction of air-tight inclosure is possible.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my lamp with the upper portion thereof in vertical section. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the armature, showing the piston in section and showing the upper-carbon holder and a portion of the carbon. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the upper portion of the globe and the means for connecting it to the other parts of the lamp. Fig. 5 is a similar view through the lower portion of the globe and lower-carbon holder. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of a slightlymodified form of lamp, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the armature and upper-carbon holder of this modification.

It is a well-known fact that the life of the carbone in electric-arc lamps is very much prolonged and the efficiency of the lamps increased by maintaining the arc in an airtight inclosure. In my lamp this desirable end is secured by a very simple construction.

The axis of the lamp comprises a metallic tube or pipe 1, having its upper end sealed by means of the cap 2 and having the globe 3 secured to its lower end by an air-tight joint, which will be hereinafter described. Surrounding the upper portion of this tube is the magnet-coil 4, so that said tube, with the coil, forms, in effect, a solenoid. In the tube is located an armature 5, provided at its lower end with a holder 6 for the upper carbon 7.v

The lower carbon S is held by a holder 9, having an air-tight connection with the globe 3. It will "thus be seen that the carbons and carbon-feeding means are entirely located within the air-tight chamber formed by the globe 3 and the tube 1. These parts arranged in the manner shown constitute all of the essentials of the lamp, and the construction and arrangement thereof is exceedingly simple and provides an inclosure for the carbone v which is practically air-tight.

The magnet-coil 4 is surrounded by a protecting-casing 10, and said coil rests at itsbon holder is provided with a pair of confl tact-springs 18, which bear against theinner surface of the tube l, and the current is conducted through said contact-springs to said tube and thence through the coil 4 of the magnet, said coil being in series in the circuit, as is ordinarily the case in this type of lamp. l

To the upper end of the armature 5 is piv otally attached a piston '19, which operates within the tube 1 and is peripherally grooved to receive the packing rings or washers 20, of asbestos or other suitable material. This piston is provided with an air-passage 21, hav'- ing its upper end preferably arranged centrally of the piston and said passage being oblique, as shown, so that its lower end will open at the side of the connectionwith the armature. This piston servesto steady the movement of the armature, and for the purpose of forming an air-cushion between said piston andthe closed upper end of the tube l I place on top of the piston a Hat disk valve 22, which merely rests loosely on top of said, piston. When, therefore, the piston ascends, this disk will close the aperture 21 to form an air-cushion above the piston and prevent the too-rapid movement orjar of the armature. When, however, the armature becomes demagnetized and falls, the piston drops away from the disk valve and allows the air to pass from the lower to the upper portion of the tube 1 in order not to retard the downward movement of the armature.

Threaded onto the lower end of the tube 1 is the collar or ring 24, which on its lower face is provided with an annular seat to receive the packing or sealing ring 25, of asbestos or other suitable material. The collar 24 is exteriorly threaded to receive the interiorlythreaded securing-ring 26, which engages the globe 3 near its upper end and holds the top thereof against the sealing-washer 25. This ring 26 is provided with an interior annular seat 27, in which is arranged a helical spring, which as the ring 26 is tightened is flattened, so as to bear firmly against the globe and press the upper end of the latter into airtight engagement with the washer 25. The lower end of the tube 1 is closed by a bushing 28, of asbestos or similar material,through which the upper carbon passes.

The lower-carbon holder 9 is provided with an annular seat 29 to receive the lower end of the globe 3 and is provided with exterior screw-threads to receive the interiorly-screwthreaded securing-ring 30, having an annular seat 3l on its inner face to receive a helical spring, which by being compressed as the ring 30 is tightened forces the lower end of the globe into air-tight engagement with the seat on the lower-carbon holder. If desired, an asbestos washer or the like may be placed within the annular seat of the lower-carbon holder to receive the lower end of the globe, although where a perfect seat is formed this is not necessary. The holder 9 carries on its upper face a suitable socket 32, in which the lower carbon 8 is placed, and said holder is provided with an opening 33 to receive the positive wire 17, which is clamped in said opening by means of an ordinary set-screw or binding-post 34.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown a modified form of construction in which a core 36 in the form of a hollow tube having a closed upper end moves in the tube 1. This hollow core has pivotally connected to its upper end the piston 20, which is similar in construction to that described in the former figures. The

downward movement ot' this core is limited by a set-screw 37, projecting through the tube or pipe 1. The armature 5 is arranged within this hollow core 36 and hasv pivotally vconnected toits upper end the block 38, provided with the at face 39, to permit the air to pass from the lower to the upper face thereof. The armature, as in the previously-described construction, carries the upper-carbon holder 6, which in this instance is provided with contact-springs 18a, which are bent soas to have their ends extended downwardly, thus allowing the core 36 to extend downwardly nearly to the base of thesolenoid and the block 38 of the armature to travel the entire length of said core. The downward movement of the armature is limited by a bushing 40, having an opening through which the armature passes and being screwed or otherwise suitably secured in the lower end of the core 36. The block 38 is adapted to contact with this bushing, and thus vlimit the downward movement of the armature. All other portions of the lamp will be the same as that described in connection with Figs. 1 to 5. In this modied construction the armature contacts with the entire length of the hollow core 36, and as the latter also has a considerable vertical movement it permits the consumption of almost the entire length of the upper carbon.

The operation of the lamp is the same as that of the ordinary gravity-feed arc-lamps. The solenoid being in series with the circuit will energize the armature and hold the same elevated as long as the arc is maintained. When, however, the carbons burn away and the arc lengthens, the current passing through the solenoid is reduced, thus weakening the field of the solenoid and permitting the armature to fall by gravity until the arc is again established.

The construction of the lamp is exceedingly simple and comprises a minimum of parts. No clutch for feeding the carbon is necessary, and the carbons, together with their feeding means, are all included in the inclosed chamber formed by the tube l, having the cap 2 at its upper end and having the globe 3 supported in an air-tight manner from its lower end.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In an arc-lamp, the combination with a solenoid having a metallic tube arranged therein and sealed at its upper end, of an armature arranged in said tube, a piston suitably connected to said armature, a carbonholder carried by said armature, contact means connected to said holder and arranged to frictionally engage said tube, a lower-carbon holder, a globe, means for forming an air-tight connection between said tube and said globe, and means for forming an airtight connection between said globe and said lower-carbon holder.

2. In an arc-lamp, the combination with a solenoid having a metallic tube arranged therein, of an armature arranged in said tube,

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a carbon-holder carried by the lower end of said armature, contact means connected to said holder and arranged to frictionally engage said tube, and a piston provided with an air-passage connected to the upper end of said armature and working in said tube.

3. In an arc-lamp, the combination with a solenoid, a metallic tube arranged therein and sealed at its upper end, an armature arranged in said tube, a piston connected to said armature and provided with an air-passage, means at the upper end of said piston for closing said passage, a carbon-holder connected to said armature, contact means oonnected to said holder and arranged to frictionally engage said tube, a globe connected to said tube by an air-tight sealing means,a lower-carbon holder, and an air-tight connection between said globe and said lower-carbon holder. l

4. In an arc-lamp, the combination with a globe, of a lower carbon connected to said globe by an air-tight sealing means, a solenoid connected to said globe by an air-tight sealing means, an armature carrying an upper carbon and arranged Within said solenoid, a piston connected to said armature and provided with anair-passage, and means for closing said air-passage. n v

5. In an arc-lamp, the combination with a solenoid, of an armature operating therein, a carbon-holder connected thereto and pro` vided with contact means for frictionally engaging with the solenoid, a piston connected to the upper end of said armature and provided with an air-passage, and means arranged in said solenoid for closing said airpassage.

6. In an arc-lamp, the combination with a solenoid, of a tubular armature operating therein, a piston operating in said tubular armature, a carbon-holder connected to said piston, a piston connected to the upper end of said armature and provided with an airpassage, and means for closing said air-passage.

7. In an arc-lamp, the combination with a solenoid, of a tubular armature operating therein, a piston connected to the upper end of said tubular armature, a carbon-holder in said tubular armature, and friction-springs connected to said carbon-holder and engaging said solenoid, said friction-springs having their ends bent downwardly.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ALBERT SCHWEITZER.

Witnesses:

JOHN NoL'AND, H. H. PATTERSON. 

